Last updated : Monday, April 13, 2009

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A Formula for Decorating

Is your house in need of change? Find yourself thumbing through countless design books, and still have no idea where to begin? Don't flip out; flip through. With a background that includes editorial roles at both House Beautiful and Real Simple, Elizabeth Mayhew has come out with her first book, Flip! For Decorating. The small, paperback design guide gives step-by-step advice on how to transform your home, starting with the basics. We sat down with Mayhew to discuss her new flip book for the design inspired. With a penchant for polka-dots and a soft spot for curly-Qs, Mayhew says it's all about keeping it simple, and living only with what you love.

Talk about your background. Were you always drawn to design?
I was born with a sixth sense for it. I remember being a little girl, about 10 or so, and spending hours rearranging my bookshelf, taking everything off and putting it all back. I've always liked environments that are put together. I have no degree in decorating and I'm not trained in it, but I do have a degree in art history, which I think has helped me to understand line, shape, balance, complementary colors, etc. I think by understanding how artists create canvases, I was able to understand the same for shaping a room.

What inspired you to write the book?
I got the idea about five years ago, when my son was four. A good friend of mine was the creative director at a magazine called Shop Etc. It no longer exists, but it was the first magazine to shoot digitally. Anyway, she needed a little boy to be eating ice cream for a shoot she was doing, so I brought my son in. It was the first time I saw digital photography at work, and when she loaded the pictures on the computer it had this "flip book" feeling. And I thought, "what an incredible way to show step-by-step stuff." I knew I wanted to do something with a flip book. And I always saw the exclamation point!

In the book, you take out all the furniture in your home, and put it back together. How long did that take?
We shot every image for the book in 10 days. From the time I sold the idea to production was about five months.

Wow, that's hardly any time at all!
It was so much in my head. With design books, a lot of the time the pictures come first, and then the words. But with this book, the two grew together. They worked in tandem.

What did you learn about your own home in that process?
Seeing the empty rooms, it really made me see how empty it feels without my furniture! It made me realize how much I really like my furniture and my apartment! I like where I live. I equate it to checking your exam before you hand it back in. I also learned how incredibly painful and hard it is to move a piano!

What was your ultimate goal with this book?
The ultimate goal was to answer the questions, "Where do you start and how do you do it?" I broke it down for people so they can understand there are certain styling rules. There is something to be said for an innate sense of styling rules, but there are defined skills, too.

A lot of design publications try to be all things to all people. Most people figure out what style they like on their own, whether it's modern or traditional or what have you, but they want rules on how to put that style together. Rules like, "the proportion of your sofa to a room", "why you can't put every single frame you have on the side table", or "how to hang pictures and why you should hang them at certain heights."

I also wanted to answer all of my friends' questions like, "Where do I get fabric?" And "What paint color should I choose?" I am very definitive, and for the most part, I don't think I've steered people wrong.

In your book, you talk about buying items you truly love so the "style called 'you' will truly emerge." How long does it take to cultivate your own style?
Realize that style will change over time. What I liked when I was 22 and had my first apartment is different from what I like now. It's an evolution and it's about training your eye. But it's the best time ever for changing and growing with your style. You have craigslist and eBay. There is an incredible barter system that didn't exist before. And it's not about tremendous skill; it's about confidence - just stepping in and doing something.

But what if you can't afford to buy what you love? Are there ways to come close with what you have?
I've done it as I've been able to afford it. Start with the most important piece of furniture. A lot of decorators will say to start with the rug. I would never say that because rugs are so expensive! I'd rather spend money on something else. It's about making choices. With accessories, the answer isn't always to go out and buy the most expensive things. You can use what you have to put great collections together.

What do you think makes a home a welcoming place?
Comfort. I have a friend who has a phenomenally decorated house. But everything has to be in a certain place. You have to know who lives there. I have two kids; you have to be realistic, it's furniture, not a masterpiece. There's a big difference between a house and a home. A home is a real reflection of who lives there. It's warm, cozy and comfortable. With a house, it's hard to explain, but you don't get that same feeling.

Do you have any examples?
My sofa is silk velvet, which was a splurge. It's a material that if it gets a stain, it will make a ring. But I like that. I like the feeling of "lived in" and worn. My kitchen: I used white carrera marble, which everyone told me not to use because it chips. But I want it to chip! I want people to know that I cook. If you can't put your feet up, forget it.

What is the most underrated way to redecorate?
Light. People don't understand lighting. One single overhead light screams, "Hi! Welcome to my hospital room!" You should have three points of light, maybe light on either side of the sofa and one across the room. Ambient light gives nuance and depth. Nobody likes to walk into a bathroom on an airplane. It's super bright. Bad lighting can make people and furniture look bad.

Dimmers are great. If you entertain at all and your house isn't that nice, it's the easiest makeover! For $15, dimmers aren't hard to install. There is no reason to have bright, harsh light. I don't have a chandelier in my dining room. I have four sconces, and that's it.

What is the most overrated way to decorate?
Recovering furniture. That's often a lot of money. Say you don't like your sofa: There are things you can do, like putting new throw pillows on it, that can totally transform its look. Completely starting over is never the answer.

You do quite a bit of "type-casting" in your book. If you were any piece of furniture, what would you be, and why?
A chair! 100 percent a chair. They have the nicest lines, they are the most moveable and adaptable. They are the friendliest and most diverse. That's the thing I would be time and time again.

Elizabeth Mayhew is the lifestyle expert for NBC's Today Show and is special projects editor for House Beautiful magazine. Previously, she was editorial development director at Real Simple magazine.

 

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